American Children Drowned in Seine

Macon Daily Telegraph April 20, 1913

Auto in Which They Were Seated Gets Away in Paris and Plunges Into the River

Paris, April 19– Two children of Isadora Duncan, the American dancer, a girl of 5 (she was really 6) and a boy of three (not quite 3) and their English governess (some say Scottish) were drowned as a result of a singular accident today when the automobile in which they were riding along the Boulevard Bourbon, in the suburb of Neuilly-Sur-Seine, plunged from the roadway into the River Seine.  The machine had been brought to a stop because another automobile was approaching and lost power.

The chauffeur descended to the ground and started the engine, but the power had not been turned off and the machine started abruptly and gained headway so quickly that the chauffeur was unable to regain his seat. The automobile with no guiding hand, left the roadway and ran over the embankment which is not protected with a parapet and then crashed into the river.

The chauffeur ran half a mile to a police station, where he summoned help (most reports state that the chauffeur stayed at the scene).  When aid reached the scene, the water was nearly up to the roof of the closed car (Most reports claim that the car sunk quickly). The imprisoned passengers were unconscious when extricated and died soon afterward while physicians were trying to resuscitate them. (Most reports claim Annie Sims and Deirdre dead at scene.  Other reports that there was some life signs in Patrick upon extrication).

Bold makes blogger’s identification of conflicting information- or inconsistent with other reports.